Case Study #7: Alzheimer’s Disease
Joanna, a 65-year-old woman, and James, a 68-year-old man, are a happily married couple who run a small business. James started noticing that his wife has trouble handling money and paying bills. She keeps forgetting dates. She forgets recently-learned information like the name of their newborn granddaughter. Joanna looks worried and anxious for no good reason. With the advice of their primary care doctor, James took her wife to a neurologist. The doctor conducts tests to assess Joanna’s memory impairment and other thinking skills. After initial assessment of her memory problem, he ordered a few lab tests and brain-imaging test. Results helped rule out other causes, such as hemorrhages, brain tumors or strokes and indicated Joanna might have early stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
Write a 2–3 page expository paper (minimum of 1000 words) discussing the following points relating to the case study patient you selected:
• Include a definition of the actual disease or condition.
• The signs and symptoms of the disease.
• Identify the factors that could have caused or lead to the particular disease or condition (Pathogenesis).
• Describe body system changes as a result of the disease process.
• Discuss the economic impact of the chronic disease.
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